Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross can at least take comfort in knowing that whether or not Tua Tagovailoa is on the sidelines, on the field, or somewhere else, the money will all be the same out-of-pocket expense. Over the course of the next two seasons, the Dolphins will eat $99 million.
For most, the question of money boils down to whether or not Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley believe they can get something out of the quarterback. It is starting to lean toward a clean break. Something that isn't lost on CBC Sports journalist and former agent, Joel Corry.
Corry recently listed 15 players that could be traded or released by the start of the 2026 new year. Tagovailoa was at the very top.
Miami Dolphins don't care about the Tua Tagovailoa contract, they just want him gone
With a cap hit of over $56 million in 2026, Tagovailoa has been the talk of the offseason so far. Since his benching with three games left in the 2025 season, the once-promising QB has been the biggest question for the media and fans alike.
Tagovailoa's contract is so bad that if Miami releases him, he will immediately count another $11 million against the cap. That doesn't seem to be enough to warrant the discussion of his remaining.
Over the course of the last week, both Jeff Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan have danced around the subject of Tagovailoa's retention. It's not surprising that Corry is jumping on the raft as well; it's crowded.
"Since there will be $99.2 million of dead money for releasing Tagovailoa, using a post-June 1 designation will be required to let him go in 2026. "Joel Corry
Unless the Dolphins opt to keep the QB for another season, their decision with Tagovailoa will be record-setting dead money. Getting rid of him now may cost more, but it's a move that needs to be made. At this point, seeing how he handled the demotion last year, it would be difficult to see him handling a similar one this year.
Trading Tagovailoa will always be a possibility, but Miami is still going to eat a lot of the contract to facilitate a trade or entice a buyer. That too isn't likely to happen either.